Domovoi Part 11

Pentecost’s arrival changed everything.  Before, they could only rely on the whims of the PPDC to determine their future – whether they would continue to be Rangers or lose Cherno forever.  But the former Marshal had given them a choice – though one might argue that there really wasn’t a choice when you looked at it properly.

“The world is ending,” he had explained, choosing not to mince words.  “How do you want to spend those final days, Mr. and Mrs. Kaidonovsky?  Watching your Jaeger gather dust in a museum?  Or fighting to the very end… and perhaps saving the world?”

Their answer had been immediate… and within hours Cherno Alpha was on his way to Hong Kong, and a new lease on life.

Aleksis stepped out of the lift and into the Jaeger hangar, looking around.  The Hong Kong Shatterdome was huge, bigger than Vladivostok – yet the size only made it feel all the more empty.  This base had obviously been designed to house and prepare a few dozen Jaegers, keeping them combat-ready at all times and ready to respond to the call.  But almost all the Jaeger hangars were vacant, some still bearing the crests and names of their former occupants.

“This Shatterdome was designed to deploy thirty Jaegers,” Pentecost explained, answering the unspoken question.  “Now only two remain… though with any luck we can acquire more.”

“Which two?” asked Sasha, studying the ruby-colored Jaeger that loomed in the nearest bay.

“Cherno Alpha and Crimson Typhoon,” Pentecost replied.

Aleksis kept his expression neutral, but inside he winced.  Had the number of Jaegers really fallen so low?  Were the Kaiju already winning the war?

“I’ll expect you in my office in an hour for debriefing,” Pentecost went on.  “Until then, you may take some time to get your Jaeger settled in.”  And he gave them a brief smile before walking off.

Aleksis frowned as he watched the Marshal of the Hong Kong Shatterdome disappear into the lift again.  Settle in… he’d never heard anyone talk about getting a Jaeger “settled in,” as if it were a guest instead of a new piece of equipment.  Yet he couldn’t have known that Cherno was sentient – they had never told anyone, fearful of the repercussions.

A bit of half-forgotten information resurfaced – Pentecost had once been a Ranger, before illness had put his co-Ranger out of commission and his Jaeger had been retired.  Perhaps his Jaeger had shown signs of life… and perhaps he suspected that other Jaegers shared that trait.  It was almost enough to make Aleksis want to tell Pentecost everything…

Almost.  He didn’t know Pentecost well enough to trust him quite yet with the full story.  He would give it time.

Up ahead, heavy cranes were lowering Cherno into his hangar.  Aleksis paused and emptied his mind, trying to read their Jaeger’s mood.  Cherno’s mind was a jumble of emotions – confusion at finding himself in a new Shatterdome, lingering grief at Nova’s destruction, but also a wary hope at their new situation.  He was aware that somehow, by some means, he and his Rangers had received a shot at redemption, and though he had no idea what the future held in store for them, he was determined to make the best of it.

“He feels the same as we do,” Sasha murmured.  “We are not so different after all.”

He nodded.  “We have been given another chance.  We shall not squander it.”

“Look out!”

Aleksis turned… and quickly pulled Sasha out of the way as an orange projectile whirled through the air where they had just been standing.  The ball ricocheted off a supply cart and bounced across the bay floor, scattering a few mechanics, before rolling to rest at Cherno’s massive left foot.

A burst of curiosity pulsed from Cherno, and Aleksis half-expected him to bend over and pick up the basketball to study it more closely.  He shook his head, chasing the fanciful thought away, as a young man jogged over and stooped to pick up the ball.

“Sorry,” he said with an apologetic grin.

“It is fine,” Sasha assured him.  “We were not hit.”

The young man nodded and tucked the ball under his arm.  Tall and lean, with light bronze skin and short-cropped hair, he moved with effortless grace, almost like a dancer.  But Aleksis saw the signs that this man was no dancer, but a Ranger – the way he held his head and shoulders high, with pride, and the glint in his eyes as he turned to study the newly arrived Mark I.

“You are the new Rangers?” he asked finally.

“Yes,” Sasha replied.  “We are Team Cherno Alpha.”

His smile widened.  “Wonderful!  Welcome to Hong Kong!  I am Cheung Wei.  My brothers and I are Team Crimson Typhoon.”

Aleksis nodded.  He recognized the name – Crimson Typhoon, one of the newer Mark IV Jaegers, had caused quite a stir among the PPDC for being the only Jaeger with three pilots instead of two.  Critics had argued that a drift between two Rangers was difficult enough, and finding three pilots compatible enough to engage in a neural handshake would be virtually impossible.  To everyone’s surprise, however, not only had the Chinese Jaeger program found Rangers for its experimental Jaeger, but Crimson had gone on to have one of the highest Kaiju kill counts in the program.

“We are honored to meet you,” Sasha told him, and a smile bloomed on her face.  “We have heard much of Crimson.”

“And we have heard much of Cherno.”  Cheung bowed.  “The honor is mine.”

Aleksis opened his mouth to give a greeting of his own… then shut it as an eerie thrum filled the bay.  Personnel stopped in their tracks a moment, as if the sound were a signal for all to cease their activities and pay tribute to its maker.  But most of the mechanics and techs simply shook their heads and went about their business, ignoring the hum despite how it filtered through flesh and bone and set one’s teeth to vibrating.

“Oh… that’s Crimson,” Cheung said apologetically, ducking his head slightly.  “His reactor… ah, makes noises at times.  It’s harmless.”

Another noise filled the air, as if trying to harmonize with Crimson’s thrumming – a deep, metallic rumble of an engine, almost like the purring of a gigantic cat.  Again, the occupants of the bay froze, this time not moving as the strange sound mingled with the hum of Crimson’s reactor.  Many eyes turned to Cherno, staring, wondering if the sound wasn’t a portent of things to come…

Both Jaegers went silent at the same moment, and a sense of pleasure, almost joy, radiated from Cherno.  The confusion and grief of before were dimmed now, replaced with relief and satisfaction.  Aleksis couldn’t suppress a smile now.  He hadn’t felt Cherno this happy since before Nova had… died, for lack of a better word.  Their Jaeger was no longer alone, and with time would perhaps forge a new friendship with Crimson Typhoon.

“Cherno,” Aleksis said by way of explanation.  “He makes noises as well.”

Cheung’s gaze moved to the battered Mark I, and a smile of understanding crossed his face.  “They seem to take well to each other.”

“Indeed,” Sasha replied.  “They will fight well together.”

Cheung laughed and gestured for them to follow him.  “Let me introduce you to Hu and Jin.  We can tell you more of Crimson… and you can tell us more of Cherno.  I want to hear the stories!”

Aleksis set off after the Chinese Ranger, Sasha right at his side.  This was a first for him – another Ranger all but confirming that he, too, knew of the Jaegers’ sentience.  That alone made the Kaidonovskys look upon the Wei Tang triplets with new respect.

***

A silver-gray sky hung low overhead as Cherno Alpha waded into the harbor to meet the oncoming Kaiju, every step taken with great care as if he were walking across thin ice.  It was eerily quiet – all boats had been recalled from the harbor, and much of the coastline had been evacuated as a precaution.  Even the birds had fled, sensing the incoming threat and fleeing for safer grounds.  The only sounds were Cherno’s thunderous footfalls on the sea floor and the hollow roar of the waves.

In the LOCCENT, Tendo, Mako, Raleigh, Herc, Sasha, and Aleksis gathered to watch the battle play out on the multiple screens, the tension so thick in the air it seemed to stifle any attempts at speech.  This was by far the worst part of the battle – the horrid suspense as they waited for the Kaiju to present itself, seeing what kind of monster would emerge from the sea to threaten their shores.  The fact that this battle would be unprecedented in the history of the Kaiju War, with one experimental Jaeger and one sentient Jaeger facing off against the beast, didn’t exactly help matters.

Sasha squeezed Aleksis’ hand until he hissed in pain.  Despite Cherno’s size, he looked so small on the screen, a toy sent out to stop a ravening monster.  And this time they weren’t out there with him, aiding and encouraging him… he was on his own.

Tendo finally broke the silence.  “Cherno Alpha, you’re to hold the miracle mile at all costs.  No heroics – just keep it from progressing until Mustang Omega can join you.  Do you understand your orders?”

The readout screen went blank, then a line of Cyrillic scrolled across it.  I COPY.

Tendo nodded.  “Mustang will join you as soon as the Rossis are suited up and in the Conn Pod.  Until then you’re on your own.”

I CAN DO THIS.  I’M A MARK I.  I’VE DONE THIS MANY TIMES BEFORE.

A smile played at the corners of Tendo’s mouth.  “Don’t get too cocky, Cherno.”

The sea boiled a kilometer from Cherno’s position, and a hideous head erupted from the water, throwing its head back and belting out a throaty roar.  Even filtered through the LOCCENT’s audio system, the sound was deafening, and Sasha felt a thrill of fear run up her spine at the memory.  Every Kaiju had a unique sound, but this one sounded painfully familiar…

“It’s Otachi,” Raleigh murmured.  “Good god, they cloned her…”

“Newt warned us they were clones,” Herc replied.  “Stands to reason that if one type was effective, they’d make more of ‘em.”

The winged Kaiju closed her maw partway, letting it gape slightly open in a sinister grin as she stalked closer to Cherno.  Her pincer-tipped tail swept from side to side, sending water flying in great sheets.  Yellow eyes narrowed calculatingly, and rivulets of blue-tinged saliva drooled from her open jaws, sending up clouds of steam wherever they hit the water.  

Sudden fear bloomed in Sasha’s chest… but it wasn’t her own.  Cherno recognized her, and the memory of what Otachi had done to him made him recoil instinctively.  On the screen the Jaeger backed up a step, hands raised as if he were trying to ward off an unfriendly dog.

“Cherno, no,” she murmured.  “Stand strong!  You can fight her… you can win!”

Doubt and terror roiled through their bond, and the readout flashed again.  CAN’T… I CAN’T…

“What’s the matter with him?” demanded Herc.

“He’s scared,” Aleksis snapped.  “And can you blame him?  Otachi and her ugly comrade nearly destroyed him!”

“Scared or not, he has a job to do out there!” Herc retorted.  “He’s gotta at least hold her back ‘til Mustang gets out there!”

Sasha tightened her grip on Aleksis’ hand, feeling the many rings he wore bite into her palm.  Cherno, love… we’re here for you.  Maybe we’re not in your Conn Pod, physically with you, but we are here and will never leave you.  You can do this.  You are stronger than your fear.

Cherno continued to pulse with fear, memories of searing acid and tearing teeth filling his mind.  He continued to back away from Otachi, his trembling visible on the screen.  The cloned Kaiju – Otachi 2.0, as it were – seemed to grin wider at seeing the Jaeger’s hesitation, and she slunk closer, tail twitching like that of a cat about to pounce.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Herc grumbled.  “Cherno’s a fraidy-cat.”

“Why isn’t Mustang out there already?” demanded Raleigh.  “The Rossis should be helping him!”

“There’s interference with the RC signal from the Conn Pod,” Tendo replied tersely, features taut with worry.  “The techs are trying to identify the source and get it shut down.  Until then he’s on his own.”

Otachi sprang at that moment, screeching a battle cry.  Cherno staggered to one side, and the Kaiju’s hide scraped his plating as it charged past him.  For a heart-stopping moment Sasha feared Otachi would make a dash for the city, but she twisted around and snapped at Cherno again, her jaws grazing the plating on his arm.  He stumbled back, taking a half-hearted swing at the beast, but she kept on him, clawing and snapping.

Come on, Cherno! Sasha urged.  Fight her!  We know you can do this!

More text spewed out across the readout: GET AWAY GET AWAY LEAVE ME ALONE DON’T HURT ME JUST GO AWAY

The Kaiju reared her head back, and for a moment Sasha could have sworn she was laughing.  Then a familiar blue fluid began boiling up from her throat, dribbling from her lips as she prepared to spit…

A sleek black form rammed into Otachi’s side, sending her sprawling.  The acidic venom jetted harmlessly out to sea – well, harmlessly to all but some unfortunate fish.  

“Sorry we’re late, sir!”  Lance’s voice came clear and strong over the LOCCENT’s radio feed.  “We were having some technical difficulties!”

“You’re just in time, Mustang,” Tendo replied, voice thick with relief.  “Hold the miracle mile.  Otachi can’t be allowed to make landfall at any cost!”

“Got it, sir,” Lexie replied.  “Let’s kick her ass, Lance.”

Lance whooped, and Mustang pumped the air with both fists.  That nearly proved to be fatal – Otachi recovered and rounded on the newcomer savagely, acid-coated teeth bared to tear a chunk out of the Mark VI.  Mustang sprang back, and her jaws clashed shut on empty air.  Cherno took advantage of Otachi’s distraction to scramble out of the way, leaving the Mark VI and the Kaiju to duke it out alone.

Oh Cherno…  Sasha couldn’t hold back the sinking feeling of disappointment.  She wanted no harm to come to him, and yet she had so hoped he would come out of this battle triumphant.  She had not expected a surrender, fear overcoming his will to fight.  Nor had she expected the Kaiju to be a replica of one of the two who had nearly reduced him to scrap months ago.

Otachi growled and struck again, one winged forelimb slamming into the spot between Mustang’s shoulders with enough force to make the Jaeger’s knees buckle.  Such a blow would have crushed a Conn Pod… had there been one to destroy.  As it was, Mustang only wobbled unsteadily a moment before straightening up again, none the worse for the wear save some marred paint.  Otachi blinked, obviously confused that a proven tactic had failed.

That was all the opening Mustang needed.  It grabbed Otachi by one forelimb and a head-prong and heaved it to the side, slamming it into the ocean floor.  The beast screamed in outrage, flailing to get away, but Mustang held on, wrestling the beast beneath the waves.  Claws raked at its chassis, stripping away paint in narrow slashes, but Mustang hardly seemed to notice the blows.

“It’s like Mortal Kombat,” Lance laughed.  “Only cooler!”

“Kaiju Kombat!” Lexie replied.  “Why’d they never make a game based on THAT?”

“Can the chatter, you two, and focus!” Herc barked.  “You can banter when that thing’s dead!”

“Killjoy,” Lexie grumbled, but shut up.

Finally Otachi wrestled herself away and backed up, panting and glaring at Mustang.  Mustang raised its hands, tauntingly beckoning Otachi closer in a “come at me, bro” gesture.  Sasha couldn’t help a critical frown.  Taunts were a regular occurrence during Kaiju encounters, but such a brazen one seemed in poor taste right now.

The Kaiju responded with a bellow and charged, another round of acid swelling her throat.  She spat… and Mustang’s left side was sprayed down before it could get out of the way.  A collective gasp filled the LOCCENT, and Tendo in particular leaned close to the screen, almost holding his breath as he watched for damage.

“That’s gross,” Lexie muttered.

“Any hull breaches, Mustang?” Tendo demanded.  “Acid damage?”

“None, sir.  It’s holding well.  Takes more than hocking a loogie to take this bad boy down.”

Tendo gusted out a sigh.  “Excellent.  Try not to take any more acid shots and get that stuff rinsed off as soon as Otachi’s down.  We designed it to be acid resistant, but I’d rather not take chances.”

Otachi huffed loudly, obviously unhappy that the acid spit was no longer effective.  She lashed out again, this time striking with her tail.  The wicked pincers closed on Mustang’s left arm, tightening their grip until the plating began to buckle.

“Oy, leggo!” Lance shouted, and a curved blade slid out of Mustang’s right arm.  With a bright flash of titanium the Kaiju’s tail parted, leaving a bloody stump still attached to Otachi and the rest of the limb still clutching Mustang’s arm, squirming and flailing convulsively.  

Otachi’s scream was more of anger than pain as she backed away, never taking her eyes off Mustang.  She shuffled from foot to foot, obviously confused by this new Jaeger.

“Cherno, Mustang, finish her now!” Herc shouted.  “’Fore she gets it in her head to fly off!”

“Roger-dodger!” Lance replied.  “Hey ugly, wanna fight?  No?  Then we’ll bring the fight to you!”

Otachi screeched and spread her wings, ready to take the fight elsewhere.  Before she could take off, however, Mustang’s chest panels slid open, revealing a bank of anti-Kaiju missiles.

“Hasta la vista, bitch,” Lexie growled.  “Fire!”

The missiles impacted messily against Otachi’s head and chest, carving craters out of her flesh, obliterating her face and punching holes in her outspread wings.  Her final death cry was a gurgling howl as her throat was shredded, and bright blue blood and acid dyed the ocean around her a brilliant azure.  She collapsed, thrashing, limbs flailing and sending sprays of water and ichor through the air.

Mustang strode closer, arm raised, and offered the coup de grace – a blade through the ruined remains of Otachi’s chest, skewering her heart.  The Kaiju shuddered convulsively and went still, a shredded organic wreck stranded in the shallows of the harbor.

“Fatality!” crowed Lance.  “I mean… she’s dead, sir.”

Applause rang from the LOCCENT.  Tendo slumped in relief, and Herc gave a grudging nod of satisfaction.  Even Raleigh looked happy, though he shot a guilty glance at the Kaidonovskys.  Mako, for her part, was expressionless, and Sasha wondered what her opinion was of Mustang’s first fight.

“Not bad for first-timers,” he told them.  “Rinse off best you can before you come back to the Shatterdome.  Where’s Cherno?”

“Didn’t know we were his babysitters,” Lexie muttered.  “We lost track of him during the fight.”

“There he is,” Raleigh replied, pointing at the screen.

Sasha’s heart clenched in combined relief and pity.  Cherno was at the docks… and he was crouched down behind several towering stacks of cargo containers as if trying to hide, shaking so hard his plating rattled.  

***

“Well, that was an embarrassment,” grumbled Herc.

“Enough,” Tendo snapped.  “The important thing is that the second Otachi was stopped before she could make landfall.  And we now know Mustang Omega is effective in battle.”

Herc snorted.  “Yeah, an’ the public got to see a Jaeger run an’ hide from a Kaiju!  How’s that gonna look for the Jaeger program?  Like we’ve got a bunch of cowards as Rangers!”

“That’s enough!” Tendo repeated.  “You’ve made your point quite clearly, Hansen.”

Sasha wondered if the two Shatterdome leaders knew – or cared – that she and Aleksis could hear them.  She knew telling them to take the conversation elsewhere would be insubordination, but her anger was swiftly reaching the point where she didn’t care.  Cherno felt horrible enough about his failure – he didn’t need their insults on top of everything.

Mustang Omega’s victory over Otachi’s clone had done wonders for the Rossis’ reputation in the Shatterdome.  Their Conn Pod had scarcely opened before they were surrounded by cheering crews and techs, and only Lexie’s insistence had kept them from being hoisted up on the crowd’s shoulders and paraded about the Jaeger Bay.  They were currently being treated to drinks in the mess hall, and crews now swarmed over the Mark VI to double-check for damages and paint over the claw marks.  If Mustang possessed any degree of sentience, Sasha was sure he would be preening over the attention right now.

Cherno, meanwhile, was being virtually ignored.  A helicopter had carried the Kaidonovskys to the dock to coax him out of hiding, and they had managed to lead him back into the Shatterdome.  He was given a wide berth as he made his way back to his hangar and slumped to the floor, and no one would even look at him, much less try to talk to his Rangers.  It was as if this battle had made him a pariah within his own home.

“It was a psychological tactic,” said Tendo.  “They were hoping to demoralize us by using an infamous Kaiju, one that had a track record for destroying Jaegers.  And it worked far better than I’m sure they were expecting.”

Herc snorted.  “Never would have thought Cherno of all Jaegers would be scared of a Kaiju, given who his Rangers are.  An’ he seemed all eager to go out an’ fight.  Wonder what the civilians thought when they saw a Jaeger runnin’ scared an’ hiding like a child.”

“We’ll deal with that if the press comes knocking,” Tendo replied.  “For now the story will be that Cherno’s being piloted by a rookie team, and they panicked during the engagement.  It wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened.”

“An’ what happens next time?” demanded Herc.  “What if a Kaiju shows up that Mustang can’t defeat?  What if there’s another double event?  Dammit, we can’t keep this up with only one functional Jaeger!”

“We’ll figure something out,” Tendo replied, somewhat testily.  “For now we have a meeting with our science team to worry about – they’re trying to get some sort of report written about what they saw in the drift.  Goodness knows we need all the information we can get if we’re going to have another Kaiju War on our hands…”

Their voices trailed off, and Sasha felt something in her gut relax at that.  Had they stuck around any longer, she probably would have marched out there and told them off – or worse, come out swinging.  

Cherno gave a low whine, and she patted his massive chest in an effort to console him.  The Jaeger sat in the back of his hangar, leaning against the wall, his Rangers cupped in one hand against his chest.  They leaned against him comfortingly, assuring him that he was still their pride and joy, still the best of the Jaegers, and it wasn’t his fault that he still bore the trauma of his last battle, the mental scars that had flamed anew at the sight of the winged Kaiju.

Mama… Papa… I’m sorry.

“Don’t,” Aleksis growled.  “Don’t be sorry.  You have NOTHING to be sorry for.”

I’m sorry I embarrassed you.  I know you were hoping I’d go out there and pound the Kaiju to a pulp and make you proud.  I just… couldn’t do it.  I looked into her eyes and I felt the old pain again, felt her and Leatherback tearing me apart, trying to reach and kill both of you… and I couldn’t face that again.

Sasha rested her cheek against the warm metal of his chest.  “Cherno… you make us proud no matter what.  You were scared, and that is a perfectly natural reaction.  We… we should have been there with you, and for that I am sorry.”

You’re still hurt though.  If you had gone out with me and been hurt worse… I never would have forgiven myself.  He raised his free hand, as if wanting to touch or hug them, but lowered it again, fear of hurting them worse than they already were bleeding through their bond.  I promise I won’t fail you next time.  I’ll fight, no matter how frightened I am.

“We will not force you to fight,” Aleksis told him.  “If you are frightened, tell us.  We will not see you damaged simply to prove something.  Especially to those hotheaded pretenders who dare call themselves Rangers.”

Cherno emitted a deep thrum, as if sighing deeply.  Thank you, Papa.  I’ll fight again someday… but I think I need some time.

“Take whatever time you need,” Sasha assured him.  Privately she could only hope he would get that time, and that Tendo and Hercules didn’t force him onto the battlefield before he was ready… or worse, write him off as useless.

Cherno had relaxed by now, his engines settling into a contented purr, but he suddenly jerked, every joint locking up.  Something’s happening.

“What is it?” Sasha asked, pushing away from his chest.

Something’s going to happen… I just feel it.  Something with Crimson…

Sasha turned toward the red Jaeger’s hangar, her gut clenching with apprehension.  Had Crimson just felt one of his Rangers die?  Or was something else happening…

Cherno cupped Sasha and Aleksis in his hands, lowering them to the floor.  Run!  Mama, Papa, run!  Get out of here!

“We won’t leave-“ began Aleksis.  

Run! Cherno ordered.  Crimson’s awake… fully awake, like me!  And he’s MAD!

They had spent all their lives putting their utmost trust in their Jaeger – they weren’t going to disobey him now.  Sasha grabbed Aleksis by the arm and pulled him out of the hangar as fast as his aching legs would allow.  Their flight earned them a few curious stares, but she didn’t stop to explain anything.  She doubted they would believe her anyhow.

They were halfway to the lift when a metallic roar filled the bay, followed by the groaning of massive joints bending after lying inactive for too long.  The floor shook as a titanic foot slammed into it, toppling stacks of crates and making crews and techs stagger with the impact.  Screams rang through the air, and techs and mechanics scattered in all directions as another footstep shook the bay.

Another roar split the air, followed by a wicked buzz.  Sasha didn’t need to turn around to know what was happening – Crimson was awake, and he had activated his buzzsaw weapons.  The Shatterdome was about to experience another violent Jaeger birth, worse than the last.